Claim: A Liberian blog, Rescue Liberia, is suggesting that the Chairperson of AIM4D International Limited, Prof. Nadim El Hage, is one of the two foreign nationals arrested with a huge consignment of drugs in Liberia.
Verdict: False! Mr El Hage rejects any link to the ongoing drugs saga, adding, “I am not the individual shown in the arrest reports, and I am not under any police investigation or criminal inquiry in Liberia or anywhere else.”
Full Text
There has been a huge controversy over the arrest of two foreign nationals over drug-related offences.
A local blog, ‘Rescue Liberia,’ suggested that the chairperson of AIM4D International Limited, Prof. Nadim El Hage, is one of the two foreign nationals arrested with a huge consignment of drugs in Liberia.
The pro-government blog, Rescue Liberia, in local Liberian English, said,
“Ehn dah lay derlay dor who the government arrested yesterday with drugs? He’s also the chief financier for the CDC Headquarters Project.”
This statement is interpreted as “Is he not the same person whom the government arrested with drugs? He’s also the chief financier of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters project.”
The post generated over a hundred comments, more than forty shares, and 440 reactions
Here is a screenshot of some of the comments under the post, as seen below
The claim comes in the wake of an ongoing investigation into a huge drug bust in the country, with blame shifting and finger-pointing between supporters of the ruling government and the immediate past administration.
This claim was also spread by others, as seen here, here, and here.
Due to the virality and the potential to mislead, DUBAWA decided to investigate.
Verification
In investigating the claim, DUBAWA saw a statement in which the Chairperson of AIM4D International Limited distanced himself from the allegation.
In the statement, Prof. Nadim El Hage described those posts as “false, misleading, and potentially defamatory,” noting that AIM4D International Ltd is a registered Liberian company that operates in line with national laws and meets its tax obligations.
The statement called on media outlets, social media administrators, and the public to verify information before sharing it and to take down misleading posts.
The statement further quoted the company as saying that it reserves all legal rights against anyone who “knowingly publishes, republishes, or continues to disseminate false and defamatory statements” aimed at damaging the reputation of its chairman
A screenshot of the company’s statement.
However, DUBAWA contacted Mr El Hage via WhatsApp to further authenticate whether or not he was one of the suspects being arrested and under police investigation for drug trafficking.
Mr El Hage told DUBAWA that he is currently in Lebanon, noting, “I am sending this message today from my office in Lebanon in response to the false claims circulating on social media.”
He furthered, “I categorically deny these allegations. I am not the individual shown in the arrest reports, and I am not under any police investigation or criminal inquiry in Liberia or anywhere else.”
He explained that he was born in Liberia and comes from the El Hage family, which he said has been part of Liberia for generations, has long-standing business interests across Liberia, and has always maintained a relationship of respect, integrity, and service toward the Liberian people.
Below is a screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation between DUBAWA and Mr El Hage and a current photo of himself from his Lebanon office.
Commenting on whether he is one of the financiers of the construction of the headquarters of the immediate past administration, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Mr. El Hage said he has no link to the CDC.
He stated that his company, AIM4D Limited, was hired to construct the party’s headquarters, and he is being paid to do his work.
“I am a contractor, and I do my work as a professional. The party is paying me, and not the other way round. I am not a member of the CDC, and I have nothing to do with politics,” Mr El Hage noted.
Below is a screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation between DUBAWA and Mr El Hage.
Also, according to the Joint Security of Liberia, through the Minister of Justice, Counsellor Oswald Tweh, the two foreign nationals arrested with over three hundred million United States dollars (US$300 million) have three separate nationalities.
Cllr. Tweh said that, though the government is withholding the names of the two suspects for security reasons, one is a Serbian citizen and the other has dual Colombian and Spanish citizenship.
Conclusion
Based on the available facts, the claim that AIM4D International Limited chairperson, Prof. Nadim El Hage, is one of the two foreign nationals arrested with a huge consignment of drugs in Liberia is false.